Utica: The Last Refuge

Imagine living in a refugee camp in Ethiopia for six years and finding out, at long last, that you will be resettled in a small city in upstate NY. You know no one there. Utica: The Last Refuge follows the Azeins, a refugee family of four from Sudan, over the course of 2.5 years as they transition from isolation to being part of a larger community. Unbeknownst to them, they have arrived in the US just as a new administration hostile to immigrants and refugees has taken over.

The ups and downs of the Azeins acclimation is softened by their landing spot: Utica, NY. The rustbelt city's long history of immigration and more recent humanitarian efforts to welcome refugees has created a perfect storm of kindness. The massive population losses due to the departure of corporate manufacturing beginning in the 80s, combined with a recognition that the new arrivals contribute mightily to the area, naturally lead local leaders to draw the conclusion that ramping up the resettlement program would be smart. Their calculation was simple. The long-term social, cultural, and economic benefits far outweigh the short term costs of resettling refugees in the city. In fact, without refugees and their children who now comprise over 20% of Utica's population, the city would lose its metropolitan status and access to significant funding that goes with it.

In parallel with following the Azeins' story, the film crew embeds itself at the resettlement agency charged with helping them succeed there. Nationally regarded as a model agency for refugee resettlement, the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees (MVRCR) suddenly finds itself struggling for survival amidst a slew of executive orders and greatly diminished incoming arrival numbers. Tasked with partnering with local business, politicians, and community members to help the town's refugees land rewarding jobs and build comfortable lives becomes more difficult as their sources of funding dry up. The agency's creativity will be tested.

Providing a contrast to common misconceptions about refugees and their impact on the areas where they resettle, Utica: The Last Refuge highlights the deep work done both by resettlement agencies, communities, and refugees alike, and shows how thoughtful civic humanitarianism can result in myriad benefits for communities and their existing residents. In short, everybody wins.

SAMPLE OF DISCUSSION GUIDE

The full 10-page guide will be emailed following your order of the film.

FILMMAKER'S STATEMENT: "Utica: The Last Refuge is a passion project. After DP Adam Bedient and I had produced several short films on refugee issues for the International Rescue Committee, we wanted to do something more substantial for this vulnerable population. What struck us immediately is that so few refugees worldwide are being resettled. Why is the system backed up if we know that resettlement programs work so well?

With a little research, we were surprised to discover that Utica, New York - the city closest to Hamilton College, which we both attended at different times - today serves as one of the most successful examples of refugee resettlement in the United States. Though we understood the effects of refugee resettlement to be overwhelmingly positive both anecdotally and via data collected by the likes of the Fiscal Policy Institute and New American Economy, we wanted to make a documentary where events unfolded in front of the camera. If the system truly works, we wanted to bear witness as Utica’s refugee center did its work.

We began in 2017 by setting up shop at Utica’s Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees. Once we had built up enough trust, we asked if we could accompany resettlement unit staff on a couple of airport pickups, greeting newly arriving refugee families as they disembarked at Syracuse International Airport. We wound up tracking the Azeins, a family from rural Sudan, for 2.5 years.

We hope you will find the story of Utica’s reinvention of itself as a haven for refugees inspiring, as we have. It’s a great reminder of how the United States was built and that great kindness regularly repays itself."

— Loch Phillipps

Preview link available upon request. Contact [email protected] for more information

Documentary Film - Video Project - Utica: The Last Refuge

A Film by Loch Phillipps

120 minutes

Scene Selection • Closed Captioned

Grades 8 - Adult

Item #: ULR-2029

A refugee Sudanese family land in New York as an administration hostile to immigrats takes over, and the Refugee Center overseeing their resettlement is faced with a battle for its own survival

Starting at $89

Licensing Options

K-12 Classroom, Public Libraries: DVD - $89 K-12 DVD + Digital File - $139 Colleges & Institutions: DVD - $395 Colleges: DVD with Digital Site License - $495 K-12 School District pricing available. Please inquire at [email protected] Community Screenings: Please Complete 'Host a Screening' Form found on top menu bar

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Reviews and Festivals

"Highly Recommended. Offers a compelling counterpoint that shows all that immigration gives us as a society: it enriches--it doesn't devalue our communities... Shows the real and significant impact of political and legal decisions on individual lives... This film is a persuasive argument for embracing new ways (and neighbors)."

— Educational Media Reviews Online

"Those studying the economic impacts of refugees on their host states will find a cornucopia of useful information in this educational documentary. Recommended."

— Video Librarian

"Anyone surprised that refugees helped resuscitate a long-declining institution should add Utica: The Last Refuge to their post-Oscars watch list... Utica: The Last Refuge serves as a potent reminder that the shining accomplishments of stars like [Hong] Chau and [Ke Huy] Quan belong to a much larger constellation of impressive accomplishments from refugees."

— Times Union

"Everything in this film — the slices of everyday life, the intimacy — details a people and a community who found each other and together gained salvation. I am proud to say it is my community, and I have never before seen it captured so perfectly."

— John Zogby, Public Opinion Pollster and Author, native Utican

"An inspiring and urgent documentary that shows how refugees revitalized a dying industrial city."

— David Ansen, Lead Programmer, Palm Springs Film Festival

"If you feel like watching a film that leaves you with an increased faith in humanity, Utica: The Last Refuge is it!"

— Camilla Nielsson, Director of the films Democrats and President

"FANTASTIC! Everything about the movie, especially the story, is great... I hope to see the film reaching national and international audiences."

— Getachew Beshir, Catholic Charities Family and Community Services in Rochester

"This documentary humanely illustrates the magic of resettlement that happens in local communities across America on a daily basis. It's important for every person in this country to see how resettlement works, and how it changes everyone involved for the better."

— Trinh Truong, Research Assistant, Center for American Progress

"Gives such a kind of a vivid portrait of the ways in which a neighborhood can really resuscitate itself... I found this to be an honest and hopeful film. It takes the viewer into the heart of one of the most pressing and significant debates of our time: how, why, and for whom are our communities changing, and what do we owe one another through that process?"

— Pablo Bose, Associate Professor in Department of Geography, University of Vermont

"Highlights the work of agencies that help in resettlement, and the positive impact on Utica's economy."

— UN Association of Rochester

"Demonstrates Utica's resilience and commitment to these vulnerable families, who are, in turn, essential to the city's rebirth."

— Portland Film Festival

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